COVID vaccine and extremely high blood sugars

Hopeful34

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Had my second AZ vaccine on Friday, and have been having a lot of low blood sugars ever since. Glad I had it though, and didn't have any other side effects :)
 
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I had my 2nd Pfizer on Friday. My BS's thus far have had no spikes, in fact they seem to indicate a reduction in insulin, but it's early days yet so I will just keep a close eye on them. I have reduced my temporary daily from 40u to 36u.
 
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oldgreymare

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Just booked my 2nd AZ vaccine for 8 May. Will try to keep activities and diet relatively consistent for a few days afterwards to see if BGs impacted.
 

oldgreymare

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Had my second AZ jab on Saturday. Injection site slightly sore and swollen, but otherwise feeling OK. Slightly increased my basal from Friday and BGs ran high all Sunday in spite of correction doses, but mostly normal this morning.
 

Peter03

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I think I'm back to normal now, it has taken a while, just got remember not to take so much insulin now, going in to hospital for cataract surgery tomorrow so I hope my blood sugers stay level
 

StewM

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390
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Type 1
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Insulin
UPDATE

Brief Summation of my issue. Not long after taking the AstraZeneca Vaccine, my Insulin Sensitivity plummeted hard and fast. Whilst my Sensitivity has improved over the past few weeks, it's never returned to normal. Yesterday I was still taking 25% more Basal than I was prior to getting the Vaccine (with a similar Bolus to Carb ratio to what I was using prior to taking the Vaccine).

Then I got the second dose yesterday.

Within ten minutes of taking the Second Dose, I went hypo. I have had numerous hypos since. I'm a bit reluctant to change my doses until I've got more than one Night of improved Insulin Sensitivity but certainly looks like my Insulin Sensitivity is almost instantly returning to pre-Vaccine levels.
 

StewM

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UPDATE 2 (Don't worry, I'm not going to constantly do this just something changes or a pattern emerges)

After 12 hours of increased Bolus and Basal sensitivity, my sensitivity dropped again to worse than it had been prior to Vaccine 2. Lunch required a 25% correction added on top of the usual dose. Dinner was pretty stable, but overnight blood sugar's climbed from around 3am through to morning. Breakfast required a 20% Correction on top of the usual dosage. Looking at my Libre Data it looks like my Basal requirements have increased again, and the additional bolus is mostly required to cover the suddenly increased Basal requirements.
 
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StewM

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390
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Type 1
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UPDATE 3 (Oh dear, here I am again)

After 15ish hours of reduced sensitivity/increased basal needs. I ate pasta for dinner and sat around waiting for a late spike that never came. Since then, my Basal has been more or less steady, whilst my Bolus requirements have reduced.

This yoyoing of sensitivity was something I saw for weeks following the first dose. Though the swings were not nearly so close together. Each time I've got closer to the 'normal' that been established prior to the second dose.
 
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StewM

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UPDATE 4:

The yoyoing stopped and I’ve seen increasing Basal effectiveness in the past few days. Today, I actually feel a little unwell cause of my Basal’s over-effectiveness.

Reducing my Basal 8% from where it was pre-Vaccine 2. This will still leave the Basal at 22% above where it was pre-Vaccine 1.

My working theory is that Vaccine 2 is reversing the effects of Vaccine 1 on my Basal requirements. As the pace of adjustments is very similar

This is the peak of Basal Requirements reducing on Day 6 post-Vaccine 2. My peak increase was on Day 5 post-Vaccine 1. I had Vaccine 1 in the morning and Vaccine 2 in the afternoon. So eerily similar timescales.
 
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daffadam

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Really interesting to read other people's reaction to the 2nd dose

I had my 2nd (Astra) recently and I 've been having an unusual amount of hypos
 

Oldvatr

Expert
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8,470
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Tablets (oral)
One thing I have only recently discovered is that bgl meters can be skewed high by immunoglobulins in the blood (antibodies to you and me, that is) So reactions to infections, and vaccines will tend to make certain meters read falsely high, It depends on the technology of the meter and the enzyme chemistry used to sense glucose,

I think the older meters could be more prone to this effect, especially those using GOD sensor technology (Glucose Oxidase Device). However, it may just apply where immunoglobins are used in an IV setting, and may not be causing the problems you are seeing here.

I am a T2D on orals so it is not a problem for me since I am not dosing insulin to counteract. My GOD based meter has shown a recent jump in bgl results, but the newer meter is not budging an inch. I have had my second jab last month.

Edit to add: This may be the mechanism at play during sickness periods other than vaccines. Any invasion by a foreign body triggers an immune response. In fact, even food eaten in a meal increases inflammation, which makes sense since our stomach and gut cannot read a menu in advance of the food cascading in.
 
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Adverts, EU, Brussel Sprouts, Ginge & Winge.
My Insulin resistance definitely went through the roof after my first Pfizer jab, I had to stop using the pump, and went back to MDI, Toujeo Solostar for basal and Novorapid for bolus. Basal was +25% of pump, and +30% for bolus. after about 4 weeks I could reduce the basal to 20%, likewise the bolus. I raised a yellow card, but have had no responses from that. I had the 2nd Pzizer jab, and my insulin resistance has worsened. Even spreading the injection sites (no more than 10 units per jab) to keep the antibodies guessing has helped but my predicted HBA1C via the Libre cgm, is well over 7. Not happy, Just hoping the increased antibodies from the vaccines will begin to decrease soon
 

StewM

Well-Known Member
Messages
390
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
FINAL UPDATE (man, that sounds grim)

So Basal has settled and been steady at 22% above where I pre-Vaccine 2. This has been confirmed with multiple Basal tests. So my current theory is that I had an increase in Basal requirements at the same as when I got Vaccine 1, which was completely independent of Vaccine 1.

My Bolus requirements have also dropped to the normal of pre-Vaccine 1. So whatever was ailing me after the first dose was promptly sorted out by the 2nd. I have no idea why that would be the case, it's just what the data's telling me.
 

TypeZero.

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296
My first dose of AZ vaccine was very bad

Basal (Tresiba) increase about 71% from 14u to 24u - last for 3 weeks before gradually returning back to 14u
 

donnellysdogs

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UPDATE 4:

The yoyoing stopped and I’ve seen increasing Basal effectiveness in the past few days. Today, I actually feel a little unwell cause of my Basal’s over-effectiveness.

Reducing my Basal 8% from where it was pre-Vaccine 2. This will still leave the Basal at 22% above where it was pre-Vaccine 1.

My working theory is that Vaccine 2 is reversing the effects of Vaccine 1 on my Basal requirements. As the pace of adjustments is very similar

This is the peak of Basal Requirements reducing on Day 6 post-Vaccine 2. My peak increase was on Day 5 post-Vaccine 1. I had Vaccine 1 in the morning and Vaccine 2 in the afternoon. So eerily similar timescales.

My basals (I take tresiba AND insulatard ) have increased significantly since jabs...
 

Chloelox

Well-Known Member
Messages
131
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Post 2nd dose, blood sugars have been okay, couple of corrections needed but nothing too crazy. Side effects exact same as the first and I am feeling very fatigued, sickly.. but another strange side effect, my period that was due to end today has started again with vengeance! Called for advice and was told this is possible side effect and to yellow card report

merit. I’m 3 days post vaccine and my insulin resistance has gone through the roof today, no matter how many corrections I still end up above 10. Going to change both insulin cartridges tonight and see if maybe it’s an insulin problem or if it’s a me problem lol
 
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TimLibre

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Messages
67
I had the first Pfizer vaccination 8 days ago. First two days i was a bit tired and had some of the usual -not too heavy- side effects. After 5/6 dats i noticed my bg levels going higher, as already mentioned by others here.
I now increased my longterm insulin Abasaglar from 20 to 24 units. Together with a bit of workout/jogging in the morning I manage to keep my bg levels ok. But as suggested in the topic, higher bg levels could have been a side effect from pfizer.In my case it wasnt too bad though. Btw i’m 36 years old, 84kg (just mentioning in case age or weight could make a difference)
 
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I’ve dropped in for nose to see if anyone else has been having issues since the vaccine. I had the AZ Oxford on Saturday and had a very sweaty night, high blood sugars when I woke, headache too. It’s really messed with my normal good control since and struggling to keep them down, I seem to get control and check an hour later and it’s gone up over 15 for no real reason, Keytones are 0.00.
Pleased to read some of your posts with the advice, thanks all
Yes, I have the same problem and I'm so glad to read I'm not alone on this as my drs keep rejecting the idea that my sudden out of the roof blood sugar might be related to the vaccine I have received back in July. Prior to the vaccine I have been keeping away from medication and sometimes I could even lower to 4.7 and 7.5. I've diabetes type 2 and diagnosed about 14/15 years ago.
Since the vaccine, there is no way my blood sugar will drop from 12. I'm now taking Metformin but, funnily enough, after eating almost to nothing, more sensibly, walking about 7 miles and having taken the Metformin, my blood sugar goes and rises! today, from 12.5 before eating breakfast and taking metformin to 14.4 after 3 hours and walking between 6 to 7 miles.
some days being without food for almost 16 hours, I had 20.8.
I am delaying the second dose until I have answers instead of my Drs saying its got nothing to do with the vaccine. I've lost all trust since they don't even know but insist it isn't related to vaccine.
Mine was Pfizer. I don't know what to do anymore.